Sheet metal shells for cartridges



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. W. MASON. MACHINE FOR HEADING SHEET METAL SHELLS FOR CARTRIDGES.

N0.-548,882. Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

ANDREW B.GRAHAM PHUTD-UTHQWASHINGTONJQ s 4 N O S A M N0 Model.)

MACHINE FOR HEADING SHEET METAL SHELLS FOR CARTRIDGES.

Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

(No Model.) I r 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

w. MASON. v MAOHINEIOR READING SHEET METAL SHELLS FOR CARTRIDGES. No.548,882. Patented 0013. 29, 189.5.

ANDREW BARN-IAN.PHUTOWQWASHINMDHJIC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM MASON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR HEADING SHEET-METAL SHELLS FOR CARTRIDGES.

Q SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,882, datedOctober 29, 1895.

Application filed December 8, 1894-. Serial No. 531,217. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MAsoN, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inMachines for Heading Sheet-Metal Shells for Cartridges; and I do herebydeclare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawingsconstitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view in sideelevation of a heading-machine constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a view thereof in front elevation;Fig. 3, an enlarged View, partly inplan and partly in horizontalsection, on the line a b of Fig. l Figs. 4 and 5, diagrams showing thepositions of the elements of the operating-train of the punch when thesame is in its lowest and highest positions.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for headingsheet-metal shells for cartridges, the object being to produceasimpleand'compact machine constructed with particular reference to avoidanceof wear.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a machine havingcertain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention I employ a punch A, a die B, through whichthe said punch plays, a long transversely-arranged dieblock B, in whichthe die is mounted, and a hunter C, all of the said parts being of anyapproved construction. Both the punch A and bunter C are reciprocatedtoward and away from each other; and the particular object of myinvention is to provide simple and durable means whereby the punch maybe moved through the die and toward the hunter and caused to pause whilethe same comes up to it and heads againstthe die the blank shell, whichthe punch has forced into the die. With that end in view I mount thepunch in the lower end of a sliding gate D, the upper end of which isjointed to the lower end of a short connecting-rod E, the upper end ofwhich is jointed to the lower crank F of the double- 5o crank shaft F,the upper crank F whereof is connected with the upper end of aconnectingrod G, the lower end of whichis connected with the the upperarm H of an angle-lever, the lower arm H of which lever is connectedwith the upper end of a long connecting-rod I, the lower end of whichrod is connected with a crank-pin J, carried by the gear K, which meshesinto a gear L, mounted on the drivingshaft M, which carries adriving-pulley N. The said operating connections of the punch virtuallyform a train, which, it will be noted, contains no cams, but is composedof levers and'rods or links. A rotating crank 0, also mounted on thedriving-shaft M, is jointed to the lower end of a connecting-rod P, theupper end of which is jointed to a reciprocating gate Q, in the upperend of which the hunter 0' is carried.

Although the train comprising the parts by means of which the punch A isactuated contains my present invention, I will, before proceeding todescribe with further particularity that feature of the machine, pointout that in the machine herein shown the blank shells are fed down intothe machine through a tube R, the lower end of which presents them to apair of spring-jaws S, of known construction, the said jaws beingmounted ina head S, secured to the forward end of a feed-lever S therear end of which is furnished with an inwardlyprojecting arm S which isengaged for the actuation of the lever by means of a cam S mounted uponan upright shaft S which is driven in any suitable manner from the shaftM. A link T, connected at its forward end with the arm S is connected atits rear end with a heavy spring T, which acts in opposition to the camS. It is thought it will be presented by the jaws S between the punchand the die, over which the jaws swing; but I do not limit myself to anyparticular means for feeding the blank shells to thepunch and die, norto any particular means for reciprocating the hunter.

The principle upon which the operating connections of the punch isarranged will be understood by reference to the diagrams forming Figs. 4and 5 of the drawings, and respectively showing the positions of thejoints of the said connections when the punch is in its lowest andhighest positions. In these diagrams, a represents the joint between theupper end of the gate D and the short connecting-rod E; b, the jointbetween the upper end of the short connecting-rod Eand the lower crank Fof the double -crank shaft, which is represented by c. 61 represents thejoint between theupper crank of the said shaft and the upper end of theconnecting-rod G; e, the joint between the lower end of theconnecting-rod G and the upper armHof the angle-lever; f, the stud. onwhichthe anglelever turns; g, the joint betweenthe lower arm H of theangle-lever and the upper end of the connecting-rod I; -h,.the center ofthe gear- K; i, the crank-pin connecting the lower end of theconnecting-rod I with thegear K;

0 j, the driving-shaft, which has previously been lettered M; is, thejoint between the rotary crank O and the lower end of theconnectingrodP, and Z the joint between the upper end of the connectingrod Pand thelower end of the gate Q, carrying the hunter 0. It will be observed byreference to Fig.4,lwhich repre-,

sents theparts when the punch is inits low-= est 'position,that at thattime the pointsa, b, and c are in line with each other, also the pointsg, h, andc' and the points j, k, and Z, but that the points d, e, and fare slightly out of line.

I might construct the machine so that the points d, e, and f would be inline at the same time that the other-points are; but by constructing themachine so that the said points d, e, andf will. be out of line when thepunch A is close to its very lowest position I virtuallyincreasetheduration of its pause. Under the construction shown anddescribed the punch will be moved to the extreme limit of its depressedposition and momentarily held there while the hunter does its Work ofheading the blank shell against the die. Then the punch is almostinappreciably. lifted, while the. point e is crossing the imaginarystraight line joining the points dandf, then returns to its extremelowest position, which it reaches when the point e returns to alignmentwith the said points (1 andf, and then rises to its elevated position,as shown inFig. 5, which does not need particular description, more thanto say that it represents the parts when the punch is in its highestposition. If the hunter acted on the shell before the punch reached itsextreme lowest position ,the work would be done while the hunter andpunch were approaching each other, which would impose unnecessary strainon the punch.

Byarranging the operating connections of the punch on the principleshown and described I am enabled to readily obtain all of the pauserequired for the punch in a construction in which strain and wear arereducedto the minimum, and hence most'desirable in machines of thisclass, which are run at a high rate of speed. Furthermore, the linkshold the required lubricant readily and are capable of adjustment andwear less than cams. 1 It is apparent that in carrying out my inventionsome changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made,and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself tothe exact construction shown and descr ibed, but hold myself at libertyto make. such changesand alterations as fairly fall within thelspiritand scope of my invention. Thus the number and arrangement of parts inthe train employed for operatingthe punch may be considerably variedwithout departing from my invention; but however the train is composedit will be constructed so that its moving centerswill be moving at theirminimum rate, and therefore transmitting the. minimum movement to thepunch when the-same is imposition. to coact with thebunter, the entirethrust of which, it will be noted, is. borne by the train itself.

I do not broadly claim a camless machine for heading metalliccartridge-shells, nor a machine in whichthe tools are operated by cranksand connecting-rods, but only a camless machine in whichthe punch makesone movement foreverymovement of the hunter and is sustained in itsoperating position by meansof the alignment of the operating connectionsimmediately connected with it.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as .new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is 1. In a machine for heading blanksheetmetal shells for cartridges, the combination with a punch and die,and a hunter, of means for reciprocating the latter, and camless powerconnections for reciprocating the punch, and constructed and arrangedtocause it to pause when it reaches its lowest, or substantially lowest,position when the bunter co-acts with it, and to form the sole means ofresistingthe thrust of thebunter, the said connections,includinga seriesof parts arranged ina train and jointed together so that the movingcenters of the train will be moving at their minimum rate of speed,.andtherefore transmit the minimum movement to the punch, when.

the sameis in position to co-act with thebunter, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine for headingblank sheet metal shells for cartridges,thecombination witha punch and a die and abuntenofmeans for reciprocatingthe latter, and power con- IIO In testimony whereof I have signed. this7 specification in the presence of two subscrlb- IO mg witnesses.

WILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

FRED O. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELSEY.

